Where does “Helena” come from?

Helena comes from Latin Helena, derived from Ancient Greek Ἑλένη, a name of uncertain origin whose meaning remains unknown despite its ancient attestation.

Ancestry of “Helena”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinHelenaHelen
2Ancient Greekἑλένηtorch, firebrand; corposant, St. Elmo's fire;...
3Proto-Indo-Europeanswel-to smolder; burn; scorch; beam, board, frame,...

Words derived from “Helena

Every word from Proto-Indo-European swel-